In this episode, Teri-Denise returns with Brian W. Kohls to talk about his experiences in the aviation and drone programs at Lansing Community College. Brian shares how he uses aerial photography to support environmental conservation efforts, including tracking invasive species like Lesser Celandine, while also reflecting on the mentors who helped guide his path. Their conversation highlights the powerful connection between education, technology, and making a positive impact in the community.

Mentioned This Episode:

Website: LCC Drone Program

Website: Spartan Krav Maga

Hello there. This is Teri-Denise, a Lansing Community College student and your host of RIPPER, an LCC Connect podcast where I interview others and ask about their unique efforts and connections in, around and beyond the community of Michigan's Capital City.

Hello, hello, hello, Hello. This is part two with Brian Kohls. Welcome back. We're gonna jump right into it.

We had some interesting points of view and introspective from Brian here. We were going into how you want to start out with the aerial stuff. So we were talking about your interest and hobbies with helicopters.

We were talking about toy helicopters that you engage with.

And you moved on to different classes and different structures, going into the aviation program here at lcc, then shifting over before you finish the aviation program into the drone programs here and producing segments with different areas of that structure, if you wanted to go into that. How so the drone program, tell me a little bit about that. Llcc, is that at the west campus?

Yes, that is at the west campus. Yeah.

All right.

So I came in when it was, like, on its second year of being part of the curriculum.

Okay.

Personally, I.

So my instructor, she was still kind of piecing together some of the pieces of the program and seeing what would work, what wouldn't work when I was in there.

Okay.

So from my understanding, it's a whole lot more structured now than it was then. So it's come a long way in a great way. My instructor, Shelly Jeltima, phenomenal human being. I absolutely adore and love her to death.

Okay.

She's been nothing but amazing to everybody in the class. And I'm sure other classes, too, are also just as much under her wing as I am.

Excellent.

So, yeah, big shout out to her.

Word up.

Yep. And Trent Harris, who is the. I believe he is the current instructor in the drone program. Now, he wasn't my instructor, but he's.

He's helped me out through some stuff, too. He's great. He's great. Check it out. Check him out. Check Shelly out. Gsi, all that stuff.

Shelly and Trent.

Correct.

Okay. Over there at the West Campus. And the. Is it just the drone program itself?

Yes.

So, yeah, the. They have the West Campus. If you haven't been there, by the way, you should definitely check it out. And then also, you said the Mason campus.

Yes.

So if you are looking to just take another program, another course that. And you have the ability to get out to these other campuses, LCC does have a lot to afford.

If you need another class to take or something, a couple credits here or there, and they can fit into your program. Definitely go for some of these other areas. Mechanical engineering.

You can learn a little bit about coding and then, like drones, as well as what Brian learned many things about. So did you go through one particular.

Program there or Kind of sorta.

It sounds like it was troubleshooting the actual full program itself while you were in.

Correct. Because it was just starting out. We, you know. Yeah, basically. So we did a lot of good stuff in there, though.

Like, we were working on doing some aerial video and photography for some conservation place out in Ingham County.

Okay.

For an invasive species of plan called lesser celandine.

Okay. So this is really interesting because we may have been looking at some of the footage that you guys got.

I took my natural resource conservation class last semester, which I loved. And this is one of the areas that we studied to know who in other different fields were important for you to know about.

Because with the exchange of information, we wouldn't have our geological maps if there weren't somebody up in the sky getting that geological information for us.

Right. And the use of drones in this particular niche field is actually very important about the conservation side of things.

But I know that everybody who I've shown or who my instructor has shown my work to, as far as the invasive species goes, was like, this is exactly what we need to like. They were just jumping on it.

So what was the species again?

Lesser celandine. It's like some. I think some Asian plant of some sort that's a flower.

It looks very beautiful, but it will usually be up, like on the riverbanks and stuff like that, and it'll come up for like three weeks or something, and then I'll just disappear and it'll just decimate the whole riverbank and cause a ton of erosion. And they're not so great. Lovely things.

Okay.

Ecosystem.

Oh, it is okay. Yep. And it's like a ficaria plant, but it's.

Yeah.

It's a perennial. And it looks like. It kind of looks like a mini daisy.

Yeah. And it's yellow.

Yeah. In the middle of like. Yeah. It's actually really a gorgeous plant. But with. Knowing that it is. Tears away and corrodes the. The river banks.

Yeah, we can't have that. Nope.

Kind of late. It's already there, so.

Yeah. So how did that further get your interest into doing more droning footage of certain kinds of species?

That's a good question. So that's something that I care a bit about for sure. But it's not like my primary focus as far as where I want to steer my drone career towards.

Sure. Is it something you could do on the side, though?

Probably, yes. I don't know how much money I could make with it just because, like, you know, conservation only gets so much funding.

Sure.

So, I mean, I'd probably just do it just because it helps the environment out. And I'm really passionate about that. I just don't know a ton about the conservation acts and whatever that go into taking care of that plant issue.

I do know that they're trying to figure out when, like, the time it takes before the plant comes up and the time the snow goes away.

Sure. Just the more like the defrosting area.

Growing temperatures. That's the word.

Oh. Oh, okay.

That was something that I was getting some information on with this plant, because we don't know that yet. So I was out there filming last spring or whatever.

Okay.

Some of that stuff for my capstone project, I think it was last spring anyway. And that was part of the drone program as well.

So I was out using some of the larger drones and such that we have to just scan certain parts of the grand river and look for it, the lesser celandine, and give that information to the people who know what to do with it. Because I don't know what to do with it.

Right.

Some people at MSU were involved as well with doing some of this, so I got to meet some of them.

That's great. See, now this is.

I was mentioning on the previous program about when there's all of a sudden people popping up and that have these connections that you would have never been involved with in the first place.

That is exactly where my professor, Shelly Jaltima, has been like a goldmine for me. Like, she has been the primary resource that has helped network me in with people that like.

For example, I didn't show you this, but I completely forgot. But there was a TV episode, like, on a local Channel 6 here in Lansing.

Okay.

For some, I believe it's a home remodeling company called Acme. Or it's either that or it's custom built. Custom built. That's the name of the company.

Custom built. Okay.

And I think ACME is the people who put on the tv, I think. I don't really know for sure.

But anyway, Matthew Metrie, who is a gentleman who does the show, somehow Shelly found him and figured out they were doing some sort of photo shoot of this house in Lansing that needed to be remodeled and put some solar shingles on and whatnot. And so we rolled up there and, you know, And Matthew let me fly the house and get some footage.

And he used quite a bit of that footage that I took in that TV show. And I was just like, wow, that was awesome. So that felt really good.

So Shelly's been in a very much a massive part in helping her students find jobs, find careers, find different places to insert their work.

And that's so important as a mentor to know that what you're doing is actually fulfilling itself. And as a person that needs a mentor, that you are finding the person.

Correct.

That is helping you out with those areas. It's so I don't think people realize exactly how. How much they can impact a person and their. Their life without having to say a word sometimes.

Yes.

Or without having to, you know, like have an award or anything. Not necessarily. Everything needs to have a ribbon attached to it.

Right.

So that was footage that was shown on. You were saying it was on WLNS tv.

I do believe so, yes.

Okay, so that's. Have you thought about getting into the networks for. Or have you submitted anything, or are you in the beginning stages of thinking about that?

I'm definitely thinking about it. Beginning stages of that for sure.

So maybe we can get some networking going.

That'll be phenomenal. Thank you. That'll be awesome.

Thank you for putting your. Putting your name out here, Brian W. Kulls.

Thank you.

Definitely drones. Getting to be a drone specialist, or can you already call yourself a drone specialist?

I'd say call myself a drone specialist because that's like my primary tool in the toolbox that I'm familiar with using and I know how to use very well. I also do have my part 107 commercial drone pilot license. So I'm certified to do this professionally.

And you need a license to drive certain classes of drones.

No, you need a license from the faa, Federal Aviation Administration, to be able to even make and make a dime off of anything regarding drones.

Okay. So to me, for it to be.

Profitable, to be a business or to fly commercial for commercial purposes, you must have a part 107 at the very bare minimum.

Okay.

They're. I think they're coming out with a larger size drone cover. What's it called? A license that covers a larger class of drone.

I'm not sure what that one's called right now. Like maybe part 135. I don't know, something like that.

Okay.

They have all these legal regulations in place that state all these laws.

Okay.

And I just don't which one that is. But part 107 covers like all your DJI drones and stuff like that.

So what does that mean for a person that has no idea what a DJI drone is? Is that the size of it or.

That is a company. It's a Chinese based company.

Oh, okay. All right.

They're the best in the business, though. For anything that's not like holding a cinema camera on board, you're going to want a DJI drone.

Okay.

And those are.

So those have smaller. Smaller cameras in them, is what you're saying?

Yeah, they have great cameras. That's what I shot all my video on with, was my DJI Mini 3 Pro.

Okay. Yeah, that looks. And I cannot believe how clear the picture is on that.

Okay.

Yeah, it looks really nice. It looks really stable, too.

Oh, yes. And that's very important.

When you're trying to shoot any kind of video from a moving platform like a drone, you want some sort of built in gyroscopic stability.

Right. So being in the same class with our video program, right now that we're in with Jeff Hamlin, what do you want to take from the program itself?

You seem to know a lot already about editing, producing. What do you. What else of an experience do you want to get from our video program? You know, in the drone area?

I am taking this class mostly because I think it's gonna help me progress, period.

Okay.

And I don't know what direction that's gonna take me, per se. I'm hoping it will help broaden my skillset to not adjust the drone or even to just the drone. It just depends.

But what I've recently come to understand about drones is that they're just another tool in the toolbox. They're not like the primary tool. They're not your drill that can do a bunch of different things.

Right.

It's the hammer. It can only do, like, it's great for what it does. Let me put it that way. It's great for pounding nails in and it's very versatile.

But you're not gonna use it every day.

Right.

Like I said, you know, the drone hammers the nail in very well if you're good at it. But sometimes you miss and you need to take a retake or something.

That's something that another instructor, Barry, said is very frustrating about some drone work is that sometimes it can take a few different times. It's like, yeah, that's true. But, you know, if you're a good pilot, you know, you can usually make things work pretty well.

Nice.

And I've. I have some friends who are also in the film industry.

As well, who have said that, you know, drones would be a very beneficial thing to have for them when they were doing it before, because they're older folks and they've been it for a long time, but they didn't really have a drone at the time. They just had the cranes and whatnot.

So I'm so glad I'm in a class with you, because I can, like, officially say I was in a class with Ryan W. Cowles, and I also got his number. Oh, you need that? You need that? Well, I know who to call for you. Okay.

I appreciate that. Thank you, Tina.

No problem.

So overall, these professional skills that you've already have, that you've already honed in on, are any of these things helping out in your personal life at all, the way that you've been able to network and have been guided to overcome?

Like, I know what it feels like to be ostracized when you're sitting in a classroom amongst people and you feel like you're kind of an outsider, but you're, like, still trying to keep going along with everything, and you make it work somehow. Are you able to carry those life skills with you into those other areas of life?

I would like to think so.

That's good.

I think it just. I try. I do my best. I'm more than happy to put myself out there. I'm hesitant to know how to do that.

So that's something that I'm still learning how to, like, market myself.

Okay.

Like, I'm a very. I don't want to just say honest person, but, like, I'm a very transparent person. I don't like secrets. I don't like manipulation.

I don't like to hide things. I'm very like, hey, this. This is what you're gonna get from me.

Right.

And I'll do the best I can.

Right.

Whatever that may be, whether it's anything from interpersonal connections or professional or whatever, I'm very honest. I just don't like to hide stuff.

So going for life skills, those life skills can carry on to any other hobbies that you have, like, any network. I believe you had spoken in class about martial arts that you're into.

I have been involved with a couple different types of martial arts throughout my life, but I'm transitioning into something a little different because I want something a bit more combative that pushes me a little bit differently than what I've done previously.

Okay, what did you do previously, then?

I did two different types of Okinawa and karate, which I very much enjoyed. But there Wasn't a ton of sparring or a ton of.

There was a lot of self defense stuff in there, but it wasn't like we got to really practice a ton of scenarios all the time and practice the, the drilling of those scenarios to kind of learn how to handle them in real life.

If they were to happen, which I'm a big guy, I don't really expect many people to come up and try to choke me, but if someone does, you know, I'll probably be able to handle it, hopefully, you know, that's kind of the stuff I want to learn how to do more of. And so.

So what ages did you get into martial arts at?

Shoot, that's initially I got into weichiru, which was a. Is a type of Okinawan karate that I started out with. And that was like maybe 8 years old at one point for a couple years.

And I stopped doing it and then I started back up around maybe age 14. Okay, 14, 14 somewhere.

This is kind of parallel with your helicopter aerial experience.

Yeah. And then my second sensei from my Ishinru background of karate, he has been like, hey, see these drone things?

You should get into that because you like these helicopters. And I'm like, ah, that's for people can't fly for squ. And now I'm just like, yeah, he was right the whole time.

Your sensei knew.

He did.

Your sensei sensed.

Yes, he felt the disturbance in the force and decided to insert that into my brain.

But you never forgot it?

I never forgot it. I remembered it this whole time. I still haven't thanked him yet, but I need to.

You can thank him right now and then you can also do it in person.

Well, thank you, sensei Jerry. I appreciate it.

There you go.

You have helped guide me in the more than one way that you may not know about.

She's like, I know.

So I have been searching for a few different schools to go to for martial arts in the Lansing area. And some were great. Some were, eh. You know, some were like, yeah, it's a scam. Most of them are like, it's not really what I'm looking for. Sure.

But I started $20 for two weeks trial with a particular school and it's a Krav Maga school, which is an Israeli Defense Force martial art. I know Israel's kind of controversial right now, but this has been around before controversy so.

Well, it's less the current state and more just the old school traditional of where this particular art form came from.

Great way to put it. So I've Been? I'm on my second week of the Krav Maga class.

Really?

Yes, second week.

How is it going?

I'm getting a workout in, that's for sure.

So you are. You're getting this. The impact that you wanted, that kind of a technique of sorts that you were looking for?

Yes, more so than the other places I've tried in the area. And they're not as expensive as other places where they keep the prices very reasonable.

Okay.

And another great thing is they don't like, say you can only come to X amount of classes. Like you can take as many classes as you want throughout the week.

Nice.

For the same price. And it's like, that is so great because I feel like a lot of schools are going towards these, you know, contracts and stuff.

I'm like, like, like a regular old gym.

Yeah, I don't know about that. I don't think about gyms. I just go to the LCC gym. That's the only gym I go to.

Heck yeah.

Because it's free.

Yep.

Well, for us, for us students. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

And faculty. It's an amazing place. You should go there. Definitely both of them. So are you getting. So you're already getting use out of the Krav Maga?

Correct.

Immediately. You said you're only two weeks in right now?

Yes.

That's crazy. That's just. It's just like an immediate thing. I don't know. For somebody like me, it might take like a couple of months to make.

Maybe I'm like, maybe I'm decide if.

You want to go to it. Yeah, well, I got like this.

They had like a current deal where you could get like two weeks worth of classes and you can go as many or as little as you want.

And you're making the most of it then.

I am.

Okay.

That's my goal. And I'm going there tonight too.

Nice.

A good couple friends there. So I'm like, I'm more than happy to keep going.

Alrighty.

So. Yeah.

See, man. Wow.

Definitely a shout out to Spartan Krav Maga down in Lansing.

There you go.

My segue into it. I do know that at one point I was in middle school and I think this was after I had done martial arts for a short period of time.

I don't know how old I was. And then I was in middle school and someone put me in headlock. They saw something really stupid. I'm like, I knew I shouldn't have said that.

He put me in a headlock and I'm like, okay. All right. I guess I should start doing some martial arts after this. So. Started doing that pretty soon thereafter. I learned my lesson well, sorta.

I still don't always want to keep my mouth shut. I'm working on that. It's constant work in progress.

Constant work in progress is the absolute most human thing you could say. I am saying congratulations on the 33 year into your rotation around the sun.

So happy 32nd birthday and then venture onto your 33rd rotation around the sun.

Thank you.

At this point, I am also happy to once again have you as a classmate to talk with and to later on network with outside of and onto whatever we all do in our classes here. It is great to know your classmates. It's good to refine your skills with each other and pick up new things 100%.

And where else are you going to find another time and opportunity to get to know people on this level where you still can make all these mistakes?

That's brilliant because someone had told me, actually this was a therapy type person that told me this was that in your 20s is when you can make all the stupid mistakes and everyone forgives you for them. Once you at your 30s, no more mistakes. You should know what you're doing, but you're not a kid anymore.

And it's like, kinda, but kinda, not also, right? Yeah, I. My brain matured a little slower than the average bears, I feel like. So it's, you know, it's also.

Why do you think that?

Well, because it was. But no, I'm on the spectrum a little bit, the autism spectrum.

And typically they're about between a few years behind on their brain development, especially boys. So I'm on the autism spectrum. My brain was probably a good three years behind my physical age.

And so when I was 18, I was more like 15 with my neurological maturation. And that definitely checked out when I started dating or started trying to interact with people socially.

All my friends have always been younger than me. Except you, Tina. You're cool.

Thank you.

I look up to you.

Okay. I'm only 25 or 22. We're not gonna say my age.

Sorry, my bad.

I am a space. I'm a space alien age. And nobody even understands the number itself or how to pronounce it here. We're gonna leave it at that.

Fair enough. But like, I just. Now that I'm in my 30s, I'm starting to have friends who are older than me now. And it's like we're on the same page.

And it's like, oh, that's Definitely different. Like, I still have friends who are in their 20s, you know, younger 20s, whatever.

It's like I've always had friends who are just younger than me and I really admire that they have. They bring the youth to the table when it comes to their energy, their vibe, their fun, their ability to just be silly.

Because I've always been very serious as well. And a lot of the time when I'm being silly, it's like it's. It doesn't work. It backfires on me socially a lot of times.

So having younger friends kind of helps me learn how to navigate some of my autism a little bit better.

Interesting.

Yeah.

That's an interesting viewpoint, huh?

Thank you. They're usually more open minded too, as far as just being willing to express things with people.

Their values, I feel like, are more in line with where I'm at and their interests are more on the same level as mine too. Like, I love astrology. I don't know why, I just do.

But like a lot of younger people are more into astrology rather than somebody who is like older than me usually. That's not always the case, obviously, but I notice with the younger generation, they're more like open minded towards things.

Things that I might have a slightly higher gravitational pull towards.

Sure.

And that's just how it's always been for me, so.

Well, we are very open to many different viewpoints here on river, so I appreciate.

Great.

Yeah, for sure. Your, your, your take on things is needed.

Okay.

So people can then understand viewpoints like that a little bit more where like. Yeah, it's. And once again, it is a full. It's a full window. It's a full way to see things around you.

You do need the viewpoint from younger people to see where we could improve in our personal future as well as where we can see what's going on with what has not been working.

Yes. 100%. As they say, history is doomed to repeat itself if you don't choose to learn from it.

Exactly.

Change from that.

And it's coming with an evolution with everybody and everybody. If we're trying to all evolve together, then we're gonna need to work on how to do that a lot better.

Very much so.

Otherwise we're not gonna make a.

Whatever makes everybody's life a little bit more bearable, you know?

Yeah, for sure.

At the very least, if not better. Man.

Well, what words to end on right there. Brian, thank you so much for coming back on again.

Thank you, Tidon.

No problem.

Thank you for having me on.

No problem. And thank you for coming on. All right, this is Teden. Thank you so much for joining us on ripp. You guys take care of yourselves and keep on going.

Thanks for tuning in to RIPPER. You can find more about this and other LCC Connect podcasts at LCCconnect.com.